CATTY COMMENTS: Fostering kittens offers many rewards

PALM CITY - Have you ever wished you could have a cat but hesitated to make that long-term commitment? Perhaps you travel part of the year, or simply worry about medical care and feeding expenses. Well, I've got good news. It's possible to "have your cake and eat it too" as a temporary cat "owner," at no cost to you, through fostering!

Spring is especially busy as mothers with kittens are coming to Hobe Sound Animal Protection League in droves. Foster parents take in these adorable furry babies (and their moms, in some cases), provide them with love and care, and then say goodbye once they find permanent homes. HSAPL covers the cost of supplies and all that is asked of the foster families is that they actively participate in helping us get the cats adopted.

Here are what a few of our foster parents have to say about what fostering means to them:

Ian and Teri: "Being foster parents is an incredible joy! The best part…is having kittens all the time! Haven't you all wished your animals could stay babies forever? Well, ours do! We have always felt that we should be paying HSAPL for allowing us this pleasure."

Pauline: "For me, fostering is a stepping stone or a safe place for a kitten to get a start in life. You are offering your home, time and heart, which is very rewarding. Fostering provides an invaluable service to HSAPL, allowing us to be able to help more babies, but most importantly it is invaluable to the baby kitten. You are keeping it safe so it can start the next chapter in its life when it goes to its 'forever' home."

Lollie: "One adoption I won't forget was to a middle-aged couple that did not have any children. She was still employed, but the husband had recently retired due to a disability. He was depressed being along all day so she brought home [adopted] two of my babies [foster kittens]. That was over a year ago, and she still calls or emails thanking me for the kittens. She truly believes they are responsible for giving her husband back to her."

Fostering means something different to each volunteer that participates. However, there is one thing that they all agree upon. Everyone who fosters feels that the act of fostering comes back to bless them many times over!